A Christmas Lockdown
by CrazyAbout
Summary: A completely AU fun fiction - just because it's Christmas. Harry and Ruth are locked on the grid and Alec and Dimitri are determined to have some fun. Beth determines to keep the boys under control.
1. Chapter 1

'Oh for God's sake,' yelled Harry from the confines of his office as the grid went into lockdown, earning him a stern look from Ruth.

She was now heading at speed towards Alec's desk as his expletives reached proportions that even Harry wouldn't use.

'It's Christmas,' she said 'so please moderate your language.'

Beth and Dimitri both with grins on their faces, watched on as the usually quiet Ruth had seemingly stopped not only Alec but also Harry mid rant.

The computers and phones had apparently died and with them their only means of communication. Harry's phone which was programmed to give him ten minutes to ring all but the Queen, had been picked up and put down at an alarming rate as he called his daughter, security and then maintenance where Bert whoever the hell he was had used expressions such as possible malfunction, blip and finally Happy Christmas mate which had turned Harry's face a quite dreadful shade of red Ruth thought. Having Harry suffer a heart attack at Christmas with no possible chance of medical help, she would quiet possibly have to act out one of her fantasies and give him the kiss of life. She certainly wasn't about to let Beth do it, especially if it worked and he came round to find Miss Bailey almost on top of him. He might well embarrass himself and she couldn't let that happen.

Meanwhile in accordance with procedure Dimitri, Beth and Tariq had started to check supplies. Everyone it appeared had done their last minute shopping, so even if they had to live on shop bought Christmas cake, mince pies, fruit and some nuts for a couple of days there was enough to go round. Alec's shopping consisted almost entirely of alcohol, great thought Beth, this might be fun. The water cooler had been filled just before the power went off so the rest of them weren't going to dehydrate either.

Ruth she noticed was now in Harry's office, trying to soothe him or whatever these two called it. There had been a couple of months during which time the atmosphere had been dreadful but it had improved recently so perhaps there was hope yet she thought. She loved living with Ruth but hated the way she moped about in the evenings, especially as she seemed to spend most of her time talking to Harry. It was obvious that they fancied each other everyone could see that, so why didn't they just get on and do something about it?

Half an hour later when it had been confirmed that there was indeed a malfunction, the lockdown was no longer and exercise and Bert had apparently gone home, Harry was still behaving like a bear with a sore head. Ruth had been very sweet he thought and had come to see him proffering a mince pie and a small glass of something that looked suspiciously like Ribena but was in fact was Alec's mulled wine. Alec himself appeared to be drinking something far stronger and if this carried on much longer he'd be joining him.

His staff appeared to be treating the situation as some sort of party and Tariq had already stuck his head round his door to ask if he fancied joining them in some games they were devising. About to tell him that this was a place of work he looked at his watch to see that had they not been stuck here they would quite probably be at home, and in his case on his own.

He gazed across at Ruth who was sitting at her desk and apparently quite relaxed. It was his favourite pastime to watch her, he loved her he just wished she loved him. He hated this limbo that they were in, she no longer angry about his ill-timed proposal and he although he was still hurt by the fact that he had been rejected, thinking that just maybe in time and if he wasn't so stupid as to ask her at a funeral, that she might change her mind.

Five minutes later the heating went off.

'Blankets,' said Harry looking directly at Ruth as he got up from his desk and walked out onto the grid, 'that's what we need.'

'Us or them,' smirked Alec looking between Harry and Ruth and winking at Dimitri.

'Shut up Alec,' hissed Beth as she saw Ruth's face colour. None the less, Ruth was on her feet as she and Harry appeared to be heading towards the medical room.

'Isn't there a bed in there?' asked Dimitri, this time earning him a slap from Beth

Once inside and away from prying eyes Harry chanced his luck. 'We need to keep you warm,' he said as he proceeded to unfold a blanket and wrap it round her shoulders. Ruth was starting to hyperventilate and felt anything but cold. She had started to shake which Harry took to mean that she really was cold and held her even tighter. Heart attack, kiss of life and lying on the floor were back in her mind, but this time it was her and it was Harry doing the kissing.

'Are you alright?' he asked leaning in even closer. He's going to kiss me she thought although quite who moved first neither of them was sure as seconds later with the blanket on the floor, they were doing just that. Why the hell didn't I do this before proposing he was thinking, as her hands which had been round the back of his neck had worked their way into his hair.

Back on the grid all but Tariq had long given up the hope of being issued with a blanket and had donned their coats and in Beth's case gloves as well, which was making it difficult to shuffle when you were playing cards.

'Do you think they're alright?' asked the ever naïve Tariq 'I think someone should go and take a look.'

Three stunned faces looked up from their cards and towards him. 'What?' he asked.

'Harry, Ruth, blankets, a bed, been away a long time, said Dimitri watching a wide eyed Tariq struggling to coming to terms with what he was saying.

Struggling was an understatement as far as Tariq was concerned, horrified was how he felt. Up until then he had never imagined Harry did that sort of thing and with Ruth, it wasn't possible was it?

Meanwhile in the medical room Ruth was beginning to panic. They had been missing for almost half an hour and although she was far from cold anymore she didn't think she could face going back onto the grid. Telling her colleagues that she and Harry had been working in the registry which was what he had come up with, no 'come up' wasn't what she meant at all. Her fantasies had resurfaced again and he was gazing at her with that look I his eyes, she was beside herself.

'We'll continue this later he whispered as he leant in and handed her a pile of now folded blankets.

Walking as close to Harry as she dared, she followed him onto the grid. The rest of them appeared to be enjoying themselves playing cards although she was concerned about Tariq because he didn't look at all well.

Plonking the blankets down on the nearest chair, 'warm drink anyone?' asked a cheerful Harry.

Tariq was staring at him with a most peculiar expression on his face but the others just said cheers and continued with their game.

'Just you and me then,' he said to Ruth as he headed towards the kitchen. She grabbed the top blanket and wrapped it round her shoulders as she followed him out.

'Seconds out round two.' said Alec.

'Bloody Hell.' said Dimitri.

'Shut up!' said Beth

Harry was filling the kettle and Ruth trembled again as he leant round her to plug it in. Oh God she thought completely forgetting that according to her, any mention of God was supposed to have some religious significance.

'What do we do now?' she asked, hoping that he had some plan as to how they could get themselves out of the situation that was now quite probably the main topic of conversation on the grid. 'Beth knows,' she added 'she keeps making suggestions, especially when you phone me in the evenings.'

'What does Beth know and what sort of suggestions,' said a smiling Harry, as he leant in and made her squirm even more.

'Well you know,' said Ruth, wondering if she should have pulled up a chair and played cards with her colleagues rather than be pressed up against the sink by an apparently sex fuelled Harry.

'Yes, I suspect that I do,' he whispered 'but until we get out of here, there's not much we can do about it.'

Back on the grid, Alec, Beth and Dimitri now wrapped in blankets were opening a third bottle of wine and eating mince pies. Tariq had gone for a lie down they told Harry and Ruth, he had started to imagine things, probably due to hyperthermia.

'Right,' said Harry, 'it's a good job we've got those blankets then.'

Harry and Ruth were sitting very close together, thighs touching in fact and Beth was trying to see if two pairs of hands were visible. If Harry developed wandering hands at home then good for him, but if he was groping Ruth under a blanket on the grid then surely the boys would notice.

'I'm dreadfully hot,' said Ruth suddenly, completely forgetting that they had an audience.

'Lucky you.' said Alec who was getting bored and the thought of winding Harry up again was far more appealing than playing cards. Dimitri got the message, Beth wished he hadn't and had another look to check on the number of hands.

With the game at a standstill as an increasingly inebriated Beth tried and failed to shuffle the cards, Alec struck.

'So what are you two going to get up to over Christmas? He asked.'

'Up to' repeated Harry.

'Yes, up to,' said Alec. 'I've got nothing on.'

'Best way.' added Dimitri as he winked at Ruth and put his arm round her.

Keep your hands to yourself thought Harry as he watched Ruth blush. She was adorable and he was imagining all sorts of things that they could get up to if she were to agree to spend Christmas with him, none of which included Christmas dinner.

Ruth stepped in to save him apparently forgetting that she currently lived with Beth, that they had stocked up for Christmas and had less than fifteen minutes ago been paralysed with embarrassment.

'The buses will have stopped running by now, so I'm going home with Harry.' She announced.

'Lucky Old Harry.' said Alec, which earned him another glare.


	2. Chapter 2

The card game was over and Alec was fast asleep in his chair. Beth and Dimitri, now totally inebriated, were endeavouring to cut the Christmas cake with a letter opener and Tariq, well who knew where his mind was. Ruth had popped her head into the medical room at one stage and although he was asleep, he appeared to be groaning and having some sort of dreadful nightmare. She had tucked another blanket round him, turned off the light and shut the door.

Harry and she had left their drunken colleagues and were now in Harry's Office and with the blinds down were sitting on his sofa. Ruth had made them tea, she because she thought he should stay sober if he was going to drive them home and Harry agreeing because he thought she was beautiful and wanted to stay sober in order that he would remember the events of the evening and hopefully the night, should they ever get out of here.

'Can I ask you something?' said Harry, kick starting the conversation. 'This taking you home, are we talking about my home or am I dropping you off at yours?'

Ruth was feeling brave, Harry had already kissed her more than once this evening and she wanted more. 'Whatever you want,' she replied sending Harry's blood pressure up as he shuffled closer and wished he'd locked the bloody door.

That's when the lights went out.

Wow thought Harry this just gets better and better, as he shuffled even closer and pondered whether they could navigate their way back to the medical room without bumping into any of the desks on the grid. Probably not a good idea he concluded, besides which Ruth had just put her hand on his thigh which was creating havoc in his trousers.

Ruth's inhibitions had completely gone, everything seemed so much easier in the dark. No one could see them and providing Harry didn't moan again as he had a moment ago, no one would hear them either. Now on their feet and clamped together in an all- encompassing kiss, he was backing her across the room, tea forgotten and the plate of mince pies that they had been enjoying on the floor. Somewhere between the sofa and the wall, her jumper had been pulled off and his shirt pulled out from his trousers.

'Harry,' she gasped as they pulled apart for air. This was wonderful she thought as his hands that had been in her hair were now pinning her against his door. His lips which had been kissing her neck and throat, appeared to be travelling downwards and were perilously close to her cleavage. Had he really told her that self-control was important, what an absolute load of bollocks that was.

The bell that would have announced the start of round two as Alec had called it was just about to ring when in the background, Harry's computer miraculously appeared to be booting up and the lights started to flicker, quite possibly saving them from being discovered by their colleagues with several more items of their clothing having joined the mince pies on the floor.

'Christ almighty,' said Harry trying to tuck his shirt back into his trousers as Ruth struggled to pull her jumper back on, which wasn't easy when it was inside out.

'Oh there you are,' said an inebriated Beth as she slid open his door and looked at what appeared to be a plate of crushed mince pies. She wasn't sure if she could see two pairs of hands but she could see two very red faces and Harry's trousers appeared to be bulging at the front.

'I'm going home with Dimitri,' she said with a grin and a nod that told Harry she knew exactly what had been happening, ' carry on' she chuckled.

Tariq it appeared had recovered although he seemed in a dreadful hurry to get away. He had agreed to see Alec home although getting him to stand up was proving almost impossible as he lay slumped in his chair wagging a finger at Harry.

'Naughty boy.' he kept saying, which was most disrespectful Tariq thought although Harry was standing very close to Ruth again and he appeared to be rubbing her back. Images began to surface as he re considered if what Dimitri had said was true. Ruth looked happy and much warmer now though, which was nice.

'Alone together at last,' said Harry as Ruth waited to greet the unlucky staff who would be manning the grid for the next 24 hours.

Amongst those who had drawn the short straw were Malcolm and Ros, who up to half an hour go had been thanking their lucky stars and were looking forward to Christmas at home. Stepping through the pods at the same time, they gazed at what appeared to be the remnants of a siege.

Harry and Ruth were folding blankets and making a feeble attempt to tidy up by scraping mince pies off his floor. It was appalling thought Malcolm that someone could have infiltrated the grid and where were the others, had they been taken hostage? Harry looked as though he had been attacked, he certainly wasn't dressed properly and Ruth's hair was all over the place, he just hoped Harry had managed to protect her.

'Oh you poor things' he said, 'are you alright?'

Ros on the other hand had a clear idea as to what had been going, especially in all matters relating to the pair now standing in front of her. She had immediately spotted his crumpled shirt and the fact that Ruth's jumper was on inside out. At last, she thought. Still, if she was going to be stuck here for the next 24 hours, then she might as well have some fun.

'They're fine aren't you, don't worry Malcolm.' she smirked as she looked him up and down.

Her eyes were lingering a lot longer than made him comfortable making him wonder if he or even Ruth had unzipped his trousers.

'Oh that's wonderful.' said Malcolm.

The grid really did look as though they had had a party. There was food everywhere, a considerable number of empty and some half-filled bottles and a scattering of blankets that had the ever dangerous Ros smirking at Harry again and making him feel as though he was being undressed by his mother.

Ruth who had suddenly realised why Ros had been staring at her jumper had beetled off to the ladies to rectify the situation, comb her hair and decide what if anything Ros knew or suspected. It was bad enough that she had caught them at all but she had been staring at Harry's trousers in a most peculiar way and he had obviously been embarrassed, she would have to ask him about it later. _Sod it she thought_ , she loved Harry and it was Christmas after all.

Harry meanwhile was back in his office with his shirt tucked in and his trousers showing no statement of intent despite the fact that his mind was still running riot with the prospect of spending the next couple of days and hopefully nights with Ruth. _Sod it he thought_ , he loved her and for the first time for as long as he could remember he was looking forward to Christmas. He had folded the two blankets that were still on his sofa and was re - evaluating his opinion of lockdowns. He needed to buy a bottle of scotch for Bert and his cronies and thank them for the excellent job they did.

His door lid open and there she stood, everything he had ever wanted gazing at him with those glorious blue eyes.

'Ready?' she asked.

'Always.' he replied.

With their coats now on and trying to appear nonchalant, they were walking towards the pods. Escape though was futile as Ros marched towards them.

'I don't do soppy, but I'm happy for you.' she said, as she turned and walked away.

'Bloody hell,' whispered Harry.

'Happy Christmas,' called Malcolm.

'You too,' called Harry.

It was going to be a Very Happy Christmas.


End file.
